


lol, more like hell no, L

by Riley_Ludicrous



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Awkward Crush, Campus Hottie Lucas, Dreamies are so done with Mark, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan & Mark Lee Are Best Friends, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 07:44:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20756828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riley_Ludicrous/pseuds/Riley_Ludicrous
Summary: "It’s actually something Donghyuck started back when Lucas first came as a foreign exchange student, and Mark only had that low-key thirst... They’ll all be hanging out, Mark seventh-wheeling his heart out, and Lucas will appear from around some corner, and Mark will go heart-eyes, and one of the others will look up and laugh and say, “Hell no, L.”  It’s a system they have down pat."





	lol, more like hell no, L

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Disoryented](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Disoryented/gifts).

> Sorry, I know I promised a reunion fic, but this was what I finally had enough inspiration to write.

It’s actually something Donghyuck started back when Lucas first came as a foreign exchange student, and Mark only had that low-key thirst.Honestly they had all had some low-key thirst, but Jeno and Jaemin were already dating, and Donghyuck and Renjun were about to, and Chenle and Jisung were fetuses—they still are, but go off. 

All that to say, the phrase only applies to Mark and his fully fledged, head-over-heels crush now.They’ll all be hanging out, Mark seventh-wheeling his heart out, and Lucas will appear from around some corner, and Mark will go heart-eyes, and one of the others will look up and laugh and say, “Hell no, L.”It’s a system they have down pat.

The worst part is that the crush isn’t a majority lust unlike the type of attraction everyone else seems to have for the campus hottie.Don’t get him wrong—Lucas is great to look at—but he’s also ridiculously intelligent and shares Mark’s cross-cultural background and is super sweet to everyone.He’s so _good _and _well-rounded_ and also_ hot._

That brings Mark here, at a ShareTea in line for his regular but also completely forgetting what his regular even is because the love of his life just walked in and will probably get in line behind him, and he doesn’t even have his friends to hide behind because no matter how much they rib him about his crush, they don’t force him into confrontation.

He’s in the middle of his internal conflict when a voice pipes up from behind him and says, “I think it’s almost your turn.”He half turn to thank the helpful commenter and nearly freezes when he sees the object of his affection grinning sheepishly at him.He stutters out a thank you and turns straight forward just in time to be called to the cashier. 

He does actually remember his order, hallelujah, and then he sits at one of the seats facing the window and pulls out his laptop to finish a paper that he’s been procrastinating on forever.

He’s rudely pulled out of his concentration before it can even fully form by the same voice from earlier asking if he can sit next to him.He purses his lips and nods his head, refusing to look up at the cute boy who’s probably staring at him with those wide eyes, adorable despite himself. 

He puts up a valiant effort at getting more work down, but it’s ultimately futile.He sneaks a peak at Lucas only to duck his head back down again when he makes eye contact with him. 

“I can move if I’m making you uncomfortable,” he says, voice full of genuine concern.

Mark shakes his head furiously.The last thing he wants is to inconvenience Lucas for—existing? being intimidatingly attractive?—so he gives up on his paper since he’s getting nowhere on that and picks up his neglected milk tea to sip on instead.Another long side eye reveals that Lucas keeps glancing worriedly at him.

“I’m really fine,” he mumbles, looking pointedly ahead and cursing his weak focus.“It’s not like this is due soon.”

It’s the truth—he’s really not a procrastinator.He has to maintain a certain score to get the scholarship he needs to afford this school, so he doesn’t make a habit of putting off assignments to the last minute.He almost says so to Lucas before biting his tongue because _honestly_ it’s not a big deal, and he’s never been one to brag about himself.

Lucas looks at him like he’s someone impressive and says, “Wow, you’re so responsible!All of my friends wait ‘till, like, the last night to get started on started on stuff.”Mark catches the ‘all of my friends’ bit like it doesn’t include Lucas, and looks back at him ponderously.Lucas grins and leans in conspiratorially to say, “I don’t have the luxury of studying in my first language to fall back on for that kind of lifestyle.”Mark flushes and nods.

“Oh, I remember when I moved here from Canada, and it was so weird hearing Korean every day!It took a lot of studying to keep up with everyone, and then my study habits were better than everyone else’s, so I started beating their grade.”It’s a rare admission, but Mark justifies it by the broadening smile on Lucas’ face.Crazy, what a shared experience can do.

They keep talking to him after that, sharing embarrassing cultural and linguistic misunderstandings and talking about their numerous shared classes.It feels like a breath of fresh air that Mark barely knew he was lacking.

Eventually there’s no one else in the area, and the tired employees are obviously hinting at them to leave, so the two of them get up.Lucas offers to walk him home, insists that he would enjoy the company, and Mark gives in.

When they get to Mark’s door, they drag the conversation on for another ten minutes.It’s only when Lucas looks at his watch and flinches that he says goodbye.

.

Lucas starts greeting him regularly after that.They’ll pass each other in the plaza, and Lucas will wave excitedly, and Mark will awkwardly wave back.Usually Lucas is surrounded by jocks or frat boys and Mark by his own friends who at first raise their eyebrows at him and then mercilessly tease him.Donghyuck always heckles him to ask Lucas out or at least go talk to him, and he resolutely shuts him down with claims that Lucas is _probabl_y straight and that they’re not that good of friends.

Donghyuck gives him a deadpan look.Renjun rolls his eyes in agreement.

.

They’re both in the cafeteria at the same time, oddly enough, and Lucas ignores his friends’ antics to plop himself right next to Mark.Mark’s friends are suspiciously absent, getting drinks or grabbing dessert that they somehow didn’t notice until moments ago.

Lucas cuts straight to his point.“Do you hate me?”He looks uncharacteristically somber as he says it.

“Of course not!” Mark quickly insists.

Lucas spares a moment to look relieved, and then he continues on: “Why don’t you ever talk to me?” 

Mark narrows his eyes at him and says, “You don’t talk to me either.”Lucas’ jaw drops a little, and he becomes awfully pouty.

“I’m so sorry!It’s a good thing we’re talking now, then.” 

.

Lucas gets his number, and they try to coordinate their time in the cafeteria as much as possible.They bump into each other at the same ShareTea every so often, and whenever they do, it ends up a lot like the first time.Mark’s friends don’t understand the fact that they aren’t dating at all.

“You guys are practically domestic without living together!You plan around each other’s schedules; you know each other’s tea orders: how are you not together?”Donghyuck rants on like this from a position of laying upside down on Mark’s couch while Renjun sits on the ground by his head and plays with his hand.Mark would retort about Donghyuck’s hypocrisy toward domesticity except for the fact that he and Renjun are literally dating. 

“That’s just—“ “Bros being bros?Friends hanging out?Sure, but you’re still pining.”

“Pining is an overstatement,” he mumbles to himself.Donghyuck holds up a hand to his ear, and Mark ignores him.

“At least don’t assume that he’s straight,” Renjun pipes up, “he could be just as nervous as you.”

.

He confesses to Lucas accidentally, when they’re getting tea together.Lucas pays for his order, and they step back to wait for it, and Mark blurts out, “I want you to be my boyfriend!”Lucas snaps his head over at him, and Mark shrinks into himself just as quickly.

“Huh?” Lucas manages.Mark shakes his head and mutters that it doesn’t matter.

“Are you sure?”

“Really, it’s nothing,” Mark insists.Lucas drops it for the moment, and Mark thinks he’s in the clear until they sit down across from each other.

“You want me to be your boyfriend?” Lucas asks.Mark opens his mouth and closes it again.Lucas suddenly beams at him—“Do I get to have you as my boyfriend, too, or do I just belong to you?” 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, friends, I'm alive. Idk how I really feel about this fic since it's past midnight and the ending is abrupt, but I've finally written something after being gone for so long, and I wanted to give you all something complete. Here it is! Lemme know what you think in the comments!


End file.
